Green Energy for Homes, Cars and More

Unusual and innovative power sources continue to encourage green energy for our homes, cars and more, according to recent stories by Electrical Contractor magazine, published by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

"Ongoing coverage of green power ingenuity along with new programs and legislation helps educate our readers and furthers innovation," said Publisher John Maisel.

Electrical Contractor's latest news on creative energy sources around the globe include:

• Hot asphalt and tarmac: both absorb the sun's rays to store heat in the ground that can be captured and saved for the winter, now heating apartments in northern Holland http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8618
• Molten salt: converts heat into electrical power, even when the sun is not out that can produce as much as 500 MW of peak power or operate nonstop at 50 MW http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8624
• Knee power: a new device harnesses kinetic energy from a person who is walking, generating electric power from knee swing that can power a cell phone for 10 minutes, motorized prosthetic joints, GPS locators, implanted drug pumps and more http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8707
• Trash: a Rockford, Il. landfill-to-gas electricity plant uses methane gas produced by decomposing trash to power equipment engines that flow into the grid http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8632
• Bacteria: a changed strain of E. coli produces substantial amounts of hydrogen for natural glucose conversion to help reduce energy costs required to produce sugar from crops such as corn; it's hydrogen where you need it http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8716
• Dams: on the Red Sea would generate hydroelectric power to solve the growing energy demands for millions of people in the Middle East; a similar seawater barrier at the entrance of the Persian Gulf would generate 50 gigawatts http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8727
• Pedal pushers: MIT students powered a supercomputer for nearly 20 minutes using bicycles, marking the largest human-powered computation in history http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8727
• Hang ten: ocean wave energy conversion uses buoys and an anchoring and electrical connection system to power about 150 homes in northwest Washington state http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=8703

Electrical Contractor also reports that wind power, with just more than one percent of the nation's electrical supply, now has enough installed capacity to power the equivalent of 1.5 million American households.